Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 92: Eagle-style Iihe, Japanese pirates slay them (please order and vote)
Wang Cheng and Pu Shouying each looked up at the downstream area.

However, while the Qingyi and Babao ships were chasing and fleeing, the Japanese pirates and the gentry alliance had already been successfully breached by Huang Yuanzhou and Han Zechang's flagship.

Perhaps it's because of the heavy debt burden.

[Traveling Merchant] Iron Abacus was extremely unlucky. Before his meticulously modified 500-ton warship could even unleash its power, it was attacked by the Conch and Han Dafu.

A preheated, red-hot shell happened to penetrate its powder magazine, causing it to explode on the spot.

The 500-ton warship was modified later, and its cabin was too shallow, only 11 feet and 5 inches deep, so the gunpowder magazine could not be completely placed below the waterline.

Then, with a deafening roar, the entire warship, along with its more than one hundred crew members, was blown into the air.

Mutilated corpses, twisted swords, charred planks, and even cannons of all sizes were hurled into the sky in a horrific display.

Only the sixth-rank merchant, Tie Suanpan, had opened his mind and had the ability to jump ship and escape on a whim.

"My personal guard! My warship! Han Zechang, Huang Yuanzhou, I will never forgive you, uncle and nephew!"

There may be a wrong name, but no wrong nickname. Iron Abacus was never one to part with a penny, and now that all his trusted confidants had been lost, he was heartbroken and wished he could beat his chest and vomit blood.

Realizing the situation was dire, he didn't dare utter a single harsh word.

Using the extraordinary footwork skill that merchants excel at, known as "Divine Speed," he carried his goods on one shoulder pole and held the reins in the other, mounting a wooden bench and chanting an incantation:

"Wooden horse as a horse, winnowing basket soaring through the clouds, hurry, hurry, as the law commands!"

The bench, like a real horse, reared up and kicked its two front legs, carrying him across the waves, disappearing in a flash.

He wanted to chase after Pu Shouying ahead for protection, desperately seizing the last chance to turn the tide.

Only the sound of horses' hooves, "clattering, clattering, clattering," remained.

"You're staying here today, and don't even think about causing trouble for Madam Yan!"

Han Zechang, the River-Turning Rat, immediately leaped into the water with a "rat flip" and relentlessly pursued the pursuer with his river-turning abilities.

[The Monkey Show] Old Dong's luck was not as good as Iron Abacus.

He claimed to be a descendant of Dong Fu, the Dragon-Raising Clan, and was deeply obsessed with restoring his ancestor's glory by raising a dragon.

But he himself didn't dare to go to the deep sea to look for the dragon, so he had no choice but to raise a group of naturally different water monkeys to console himself.

After learning that Pu Shouying's mission target was actually a dragon, aside from enjoying the company of Tang Miaofu, the "Boat Girl of West Lake," he basically brought his own provisions with him.

He was determined to obtain Lady Yan's dragon blood essence and try to cultivate one or two dragons himself.

He was also one of the most proactive among those who sought refuge; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone into battle shirtless and even lost his own talisman.

So when the clam maiden Shui Rou waved the "Heart-Stabilizing Golden Hoop" given to her by Wang Cheng in front of him, she was easily lured in and, with her water monkey, carelessly ventured forward, only to be surrounded and trapped by dozens of giant clam shells hidden underwater.

A group of water monkeys and he, a sixth-rank monkey trainer, were all "drowned" in his own dream.

In the end, the rivers and seas still belong to the sea monsters.

"Old Dong has been executed!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill all the Japanese pirates!"

The morale of the Moon Harbor side was greatly boosted, and they unleashed a barrage of cannons, muskets, and all sorts of firearms.

"Load them all at once. Fire!"

A batch of barrel-shaped firearms were mounted on the bulwark, the fuses were lit, and sparks flew, unleashing hundreds and thousands of arrows that riddled the Japanese pirates who dared to expose themselves on the deck.

From the three-shot "Divine Arrow" to the 100-shot "Hundred Tigers Galloping Together," they are essentially different variations of the same weapon.

With a range of 300 meters, the sheer number of these rockets compensated for the instability of ordinary rocket trajectories.

“Bring out all our divine fire crows, and release them again.”

The flying crow was made of reeds covered with paper and filled with gunpowder. It was propelled by gunpowder tubes on both sides, flew over the enemy ship and then exploded with a bang.

One after another, Japanese and gentry warships were set ablaze.

"Escape, escape!"

"Help--!"

The two captains either fled or were beheaded, and the remaining Japanese pirates were thrown into chaos, their morale collapsing on the spot.

Pu Shouyan, the leader of the Japanese pirates who was not the main target of the attack, dared not stay any longer. He turned his ship around and urged his entourage to chase after his lord.

Huang Yuanzhou stayed behind to cover the retreat, while the Clam Girl followed with the Mirage Clam.

Pu Shouyan was overjoyed when he bumped into the "Blue Robe" ship, which looked like it had been chased and beaten back by Pu Shouying.

Unaware that there was an iron chain blocking the river ahead, making it impossible for a sailboat to cross in a short time, they thought their chance had come.

"Master, I'm here to help you!"

Board the ship and seize it.

This sailing warship only had one [Guardian Spirit General] on board, without even a single officer. It was a typical example of high attack but low defense. If it hadn't launched a sneak attack at the beginning, this weakness would have been fatal!

With the help of the family head, taking down this warship would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it? Their manpower, a fifth-rank ship captain, and the sailing warship were instantly restored to full strength.

A group of sea monsters immediately launched their usual charge attack, howling as they went, and cleverly, they had circled around to the rear from the very beginning, attacking from the stern. "Totsugeki!"

Wang Cheng lit three dark incense sticks and chanted a spell:
"Three sticks of incense ash form a bridge, auspicious light shines upon the dragon tower and phoenix pavilion. Hardships have passed and fortune is on the way; calamity has been averted and one is now free! Summon the shrimp soldiers and crab generals to the altar!"

Three incense sticks were inserted into the bronze incense burner and placed on the head of Zhang Wen, the incense maker.

The wisps of smoke from the incense burner intertwined in mid-air, forming countless shrimp soldiers and crab generals, which then pounced on the ship's dedicated marines.

He shouted again, "Marine Corps, swallow the magic water!"

A group of carefully selected melee elites each took off the gourds from their waists and drank a large mouthful of magical water mixed with paper ash and incense pills. Their bodies immediately shimmered with a metallic sheen reminiscent of armor.

This is the "Building a Bridge to Invite Troops" technique from the divinely transmitted incense manual.

Before the three incense sticks burned out, they were all possessed by shrimp soldiers and crab generals from the altar of the Shen family, the lineage of the God of Wealth. They were like temporary temple soldiers, with immense strength and covered in armor, making them impervious to swords and blades.

It also solves the weaknesses of the non-acid-containing shell being brittle and the acid-containing shell sinking immediately upon entering the water.

Seeing that the Clam Woman had already appeared behind the Japanese pirates with her army of clam shells, Pu Shouying's attention was diverted.

Relieved, Wang Cheng flapped his wings and leaped down from the mast, heading straight to meet Pu Shouyan, who was running at the front.

"Well done."

[A rare commodity] He immediately examined him thoroughly.

"The fake Japanese Pu Shouyan was the weakest among the ship captains of the gentry faction. He usually acted as Pu Shouying's agent and was just an ordinary seventh-rank official."

After all, if he had both command of the Japanese pirate fleet and the strength of a third-rank official in the ship's bow, could Pu Shouying's position as head of the family be secure?
In addition, since they are not from the main lineage of the Pu clan, there is no requirement that their maternal lineage must come from the same ethnic group as the Semu people, and they look no different from the true Japanese.”

It is particularly worth mentioning that the Japanese from Yingzhou entered the tributary system of China by virtue of a "golden seal of the King of Wa of Han" bestowed by the God of the Divine Land, and also had their own Shinto officials:

Samurai, Ninja, Shinto, Onmyoji, and Bhikkhuni (a Buddhist nun) are some of the names associated with this character.

Pu Shouyan is a samurai!
Not only the Japanese, but also the sixty-three tributary states, including Champa, Java, the West, South Asia, Brunei, etc., which belong to the same cultural sphere as China, all had their own unique official positions and ranks.

However, they are all severely unbalanced and far less comprehensive than the 360 ​​trades in China.

Pu Shouyan merely sneered as he watched the bald eagle approach:

"Is the guardian spirit an eagle?"

"You hairy beast that only scratches with your claws and beak, without even hands, I can kill you with just one sword!"

He slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his katana. His signature move, which he had practiced diligently for many years, was the "Godspeed Iaijutsu".

Within seven steps, he can cut down a flying swallow the instant he draws his sword!
A man and an eagle rapidly approached each other on the river, their chilling killing intent almost causing frost to form in the air.

Thirty steps, twenty steps, fifteen steps
"breathe--"

Pu Shouyan was indeed skilled. As he adjusted his breathing and focused his mind, everything around him slowed down, and he reached his peak condition. He was confident that he could unleash the strongest and fastest sword strike of his life.

then
He suddenly widened his eyes, watching as Wang Cheng took out two large three-eyed muskets that he had hidden using the concealment technique "Azure Dragon in the Sleeve" and held them in his claws.

For officials, the fire could be ignited at any time using the pure Yang fire of their life force, making the matchlock gun just as convenient as the flintlock gun.

boom!boom!
The scorching iron shot fired from ten paces away, carrying the venom of the silver ringed snake, instantly enveloped Pu Shouyan's stunned face.

"What?! What happened to the samurai spirit?!"

His face was covered in bruises, and he tumbled to the ground, unable to get up.

[Japanese-style Iaijutsu] versus [Hawk-style Iaijutsu]: The latter wins decisively!
Wang Cheng merely glanced at the [Swift Iaijutsu] he had obtained from the "no-cost trade" before flapping his wings and returning to his homeland.

By combining the strengths of both schools, he will surely be able to make Iaijutsu shine in his hands and create the [Sho-style Iaijutsu]!
For example: hiding a gun in the hilt of a knife?
The outcome of the battle was no longer in doubt. Without their leader, the sea monsters that charged forward were slaughtered by the "shrimp soldiers and crab generals".

On the main battlefield, the gentry faction has lost its momentum.

"We haven't lost yet."

Even if Moon Harbor and the fleet are gone, we can still find another way. As long as the nobleman consumes Madam Yan's true dragon form, we still have a chance to turn the tide.

Pu Shouying touched a purple dragon pearl that exuded an eerie aura in his sleeve. The official hadn't come, but the "distinguished person" had!

When they escaped together with Tie Suanpan, they didn't forget to take the wooden stake with them [a classic case of feigning one's intentions while secretly advancing another].

This is the key to ensuring that after winning this battle, no one will remember what he did, and to maintaining the innocent image of the Pu family.

For the Pu family, it was countless times more important than his life as the head of the family.

Once people find out what they've done, enslaving men and making women prostitutes would be a great blessing to them; exterminating their entire families, whipping their corpses, and scattering their bones to ashes would be the only fate.

Wang Cheng then got his wish and led his "shrimp soldiers and crab generals" to capture the Babao sailing warship.

Then, the main force was left to clean up the front and rear, while the elite troops continued forward.

"Come in, we're after them!"

The clam maiden summoned a group of giant clam shells, allowing Huang Yuanzhou, Han Zechang, and their elite troops to enter them, dive into the water, and easily cross the iron chain across the river.

After a series of battles that wiped out all the Japanese pirates, it was now early February 1st, and they still needed to hold on for the last day.

Meanwhile, Wang Cheng and Yun Xiao had already swum to the Lock Dragon Well at the end of the Jiulong River!
(End of this chapter)